York discovers right formula against Elgin
Dukes wins PKs between unbeaten powerhouses for Final 4 berth
By Patrick Z. McGavin
STREAMWOOD — York junior forward Jayden Waski is an instinctive and cerebral talent with a gift for observation.
It was a case of same place, Millennium Field, different result in the clash of unbeaten powers for the right to qualify for the state semifinals.
In Group C play of the Streamwood Fall Classic on Sept. 13, Elgin and York played to a scoreless draw.
Waski took notes.
“The first time we played them, I figured out how their left back works, how their center back works,” he said.
“I noticed sometimes they dropped, and I was able to take advantage of that tonight. I was able to pick my head up and make a couple of runs.”
Waski had a hand in both of the Dukes’ goals in regulation.
His most consequential came at the end the match.
He was the final shooter during the penalty shootout.
The moment was ringed with power and meaning. A successful kick meant the Dukes punched their ticket back to state.
“I had been envisioning this for the last week, and I knew it was going to come down to this spot,” he said.
“I was going to execute my game plan.”
Waski drilled his penalty into the lower left corner for the Dukes 4-2 shootout victory in the Class 3A Streamwood Supersectional.
The defending state champion Dukes (20-0-3) advance to play Romeoville (27-1-1) in the 5 p.m. state semifinal Friday at Hoffman Estates.
York extended its winning streak to 14 games, and ended the Maroons’ 15-game victory streak.
Elgin (20-1-3) played its first supersectional match in program history.
First-year coach Jimmy Romano suffered a heartbreaking return home.
He was a standout player at Streamwood and was part of Matt Polovin’s staff when the Sabres finished fourth in Class 3A in 2014.
“I got this job five days before the start of tryouts,” said Romano, who coached the best season in school history.
“Each day together, I have gotten to know more and more about the group. I have continued to build off that.”
The game marked the first time since the legendary 3A state final between Naperville North and Libertyville in 2018 that two undefeated teams met this late in the season.
An exhilarating night of back-and-forth soccer, with haymakers and counter punches, incredible drama and high-level skill was separated by the tiniest of margins.
“That’s a marvelous team,” York coach Jordan Stopka said.
“In my three seasons at York, I think that was the team that moved the ball the best against us, especially with how they communicate off of each other.
“We were going through the ringer with them sometimes. They had some spells where they really dominated.”
In the shootout, York sophomore keeper Diego Ochoa blocked the Maroons’ second shooter, and forward Eduardo Nava pushed the fourth attempt just wide left.
“What was going through my mind is that I have to guess right and look at their position,” Ochoa said.
“On their second shooter, one of my teammates told me that he was going to my left, and I trusted him.”
Senior midfielder Joe Hernandez was that player.
He appeared to give the Dukes the victory late in regulation with a beautiful 71st-minute goal.
By the time of the shootout, that felt like a previous life.
“I told Diego to go left,” Hernandez said. “I did some investigating, and I thought if it goes to penalty kicks, I’m going to watch how they shoot against us.”
The final conjured one of the most remarkable sequences of the Dukes’ state title run last year.
York outlasted St. Charles East 10-9 in penalty kicks in the sectional championship game.
“We just felt like we have done this before, and we can do it again,” Hernandez said.
“It’s just a penalty shootout, and we can put ours in the net.”
Elgin center back Julian Orozco is the leader of the Maroons defense that registered 14 shutouts.
Nava scored 23 goals despite missing several games with an ankle injury. Midfielder Omar Saldana was another electric offensive player who orchestrated the attack with 18 assists.
Elgin appeared to be a team of destiny after the Maroons recovered from a 2-0 halftime deficit and beat cross-town rival Larkin in a shootout Friday in the sectional championship game at Hampshire.
The Maroons’ best player Tuesday was senior midfielder Geo Catalan.
He scored two textbook goals at highly opportunistic times—at the end of the first half and the end of regulation that pushed the Dukes to the brink.
The senior midfielder was in his first year of high school competition.
“Tonight went beyond soccer, or futbol,” Catalan said. “We’re a family, and we played like it.
“Jimmy brought that love and togetherness to the program. We went out to dinner together before the games. We went to each other’s houses and watched movies together.”
Another first year Elgin player, senior keeper Kleber Rodriguez, kept the Maroons afloat.
Elgin was fortunate not to trail by two or three goals in the first half.
Waski scored in the 13th minute by finishing a half-volley about five yards off an original ball by Gustavo Herrera.
His older brother, senior Jose Herrera, won the ball on the left wing and crossed to Gustavo.
Rodriguez had the deflection on the initial ball. Waski was perfectly positioned for the follow up.
“I was able to make a couple of runs, find some teammates, and get open for that one shot on the rebound,” Waski said.
Rodriguez was dynamite over the next 10 to 15 minutes. He stopped two point-blank shots by Jose Herrera.
He also made a spectacular diving stop off a Jose Herrera free kick early in the second half.
“Props to the keeper,” senior midfielder Joe Hernandez said. “He had a really good game.
“Elgin was a really good team, and we respected them. When we stepped on the field, we said this is our game now, and we have to keep on pushing.”
Catalan’s strike from about 18 yards in the 39th minute produced the first equalizer.
Elgin was not going away.
The Dukes’ second goal was a thing of beauty, with Waski making a deep run down the right edge and playing a ball that defender Stefan Rebic slotted to Hernandez.
Hernandez beat a defender and smashed home a laser from about 16 yards inside the near post for his 10th goal.
That score seemed destined to last moments later when Elgin forward Angel Lopez was disqualified in the 75th minute after being issued his second yellow card.
Down a man and running out of time, Elgin found a way. Nava had his back to the goal outside the box with a defender behind him. He fell toward the net and a foul was called.
One more time, in the 77th minute, Catalan made the Dukes pay.
His 28-yarder deflected off a defender and took a berserk bounce into the net for the stunning 2-2 tie.
“That was tough to come back from, but we had to keep our heads up and play as a team,” Ochoa said.
Elgin conceded possession during the two overtimes, and flooded its back third with bodies.
It set up the shootout and Waski’s game-winner. For his outstanding play, Waski earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction.
“Walking up to that penalty, I was confident in myself that I was going to make it,” he said.
York now returns to the spot where it made the program’s first state championship appearance and took home its first title.
“We are trying to prove that it was not a one-year type of thing,” Waski said.
“We know we have a target on our back.”
Stopka said the animating mentality was that last year constitutes the past.
“Since day one, the question has been ‘What have you won this year?’” Stopka said.
“Some smart aleck said a summer league title. I said nobody cares about summer league titles. Now we are starting to win things, and we can talk about that.”
Starting lineups
York
GK: Diego Ochoa
D: Soren Moore
D: Ryder Kohl
D: Mateusz Janowski
D: Stefan Rebic
MF: Joe Hernandez
MF: Michael Greco
MF: Gustavo Herrera
F: Jose Herrera
F: Jayden Waski
F: Frank Rofrano
Elgin
GK: Kleber Rodriguez
D: Olivier Garcia
D: Julian Orozco
D: Edgar Perez
D: Giovanny Aviles
MF: Omar Saldana
MF: Aaron Saldana
MF: Geo Catalan
F: Miguel Navarro
F: Eduardo Nava
F: Ola Ajayi
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Jayden Waski, jr., F, York
Scoring summary
First half
York—Jayden Waski (Gustavo Herrera), 13th minute
Elgin—Geo Catalan (Angel Lopez), 39th minute
Second half
York—Joe Hernandez (Stefan Rebic), 71st minute
Elgin—Catalan (free kick), 77th minute
First overtime
No scoring
Second overtime
No scoring
Shootout
York—Ryder Kohl (made), Jose Herrera (made), Kevin O’Connor (made), Gustavo Herrera (saved), Jayden Waski (made)
Elgin—Geo Catalan (made), Aaron Saldana (blocked), Miguel Navarro (made), Eduardo Nava (missed)
Dukes wins PKs between unbeaten powerhouses for Final 4 berth
By Patrick Z. McGavin
STREAMWOOD — York junior forward Jayden Waski is an instinctive and cerebral talent with a gift for observation.
It was a case of same place, Millennium Field, different result in the clash of unbeaten powers for the right to qualify for the state semifinals.
In Group C play of the Streamwood Fall Classic on Sept. 13, Elgin and York played to a scoreless draw.
Waski took notes.
“The first time we played them, I figured out how their left back works, how their center back works,” he said.
“I noticed sometimes they dropped, and I was able to take advantage of that tonight. I was able to pick my head up and make a couple of runs.”
Waski had a hand in both of the Dukes’ goals in regulation.
His most consequential came at the end the match.
He was the final shooter during the penalty shootout.
The moment was ringed with power and meaning. A successful kick meant the Dukes punched their ticket back to state.
“I had been envisioning this for the last week, and I knew it was going to come down to this spot,” he said.
“I was going to execute my game plan.”
Waski drilled his penalty into the lower left corner for the Dukes 4-2 shootout victory in the Class 3A Streamwood Supersectional.
The defending state champion Dukes (20-0-3) advance to play Romeoville (27-1-1) in the 5 p.m. state semifinal Friday at Hoffman Estates.
York extended its winning streak to 14 games, and ended the Maroons’ 15-game victory streak.
Elgin (20-1-3) played its first supersectional match in program history.
First-year coach Jimmy Romano suffered a heartbreaking return home.
He was a standout player at Streamwood and was part of Matt Polovin’s staff when the Sabres finished fourth in Class 3A in 2014.
“I got this job five days before the start of tryouts,” said Romano, who coached the best season in school history.
“Each day together, I have gotten to know more and more about the group. I have continued to build off that.”
The game marked the first time since the legendary 3A state final between Naperville North and Libertyville in 2018 that two undefeated teams met this late in the season.
An exhilarating night of back-and-forth soccer, with haymakers and counter punches, incredible drama and high-level skill was separated by the tiniest of margins.
“That’s a marvelous team,” York coach Jordan Stopka said.
“In my three seasons at York, I think that was the team that moved the ball the best against us, especially with how they communicate off of each other.
“We were going through the ringer with them sometimes. They had some spells where they really dominated.”
In the shootout, York sophomore keeper Diego Ochoa blocked the Maroons’ second shooter, and forward Eduardo Nava pushed the fourth attempt just wide left.
“What was going through my mind is that I have to guess right and look at their position,” Ochoa said.
“On their second shooter, one of my teammates told me that he was going to my left, and I trusted him.”
Senior midfielder Joe Hernandez was that player.
He appeared to give the Dukes the victory late in regulation with a beautiful 71st-minute goal.
By the time of the shootout, that felt like a previous life.
“I told Diego to go left,” Hernandez said. “I did some investigating, and I thought if it goes to penalty kicks, I’m going to watch how they shoot against us.”
The final conjured one of the most remarkable sequences of the Dukes’ state title run last year.
York outlasted St. Charles East 10-9 in penalty kicks in the sectional championship game.
“We just felt like we have done this before, and we can do it again,” Hernandez said.
“It’s just a penalty shootout, and we can put ours in the net.”
Elgin center back Julian Orozco is the leader of the Maroons defense that registered 14 shutouts.
Nava scored 23 goals despite missing several games with an ankle injury. Midfielder Omar Saldana was another electric offensive player who orchestrated the attack with 18 assists.
Elgin appeared to be a team of destiny after the Maroons recovered from a 2-0 halftime deficit and beat cross-town rival Larkin in a shootout Friday in the sectional championship game at Hampshire.
The Maroons’ best player Tuesday was senior midfielder Geo Catalan.
He scored two textbook goals at highly opportunistic times—at the end of the first half and the end of regulation that pushed the Dukes to the brink.
The senior midfielder was in his first year of high school competition.
“Tonight went beyond soccer, or futbol,” Catalan said. “We’re a family, and we played like it.
“Jimmy brought that love and togetherness to the program. We went out to dinner together before the games. We went to each other’s houses and watched movies together.”
Another first year Elgin player, senior keeper Kleber Rodriguez, kept the Maroons afloat.
Elgin was fortunate not to trail by two or three goals in the first half.
Waski scored in the 13th minute by finishing a half-volley about five yards off an original ball by Gustavo Herrera.
His older brother, senior Jose Herrera, won the ball on the left wing and crossed to Gustavo.
Rodriguez had the deflection on the initial ball. Waski was perfectly positioned for the follow up.
“I was able to make a couple of runs, find some teammates, and get open for that one shot on the rebound,” Waski said.
Rodriguez was dynamite over the next 10 to 15 minutes. He stopped two point-blank shots by Jose Herrera.
He also made a spectacular diving stop off a Jose Herrera free kick early in the second half.
“Props to the keeper,” senior midfielder Joe Hernandez said. “He had a really good game.
“Elgin was a really good team, and we respected them. When we stepped on the field, we said this is our game now, and we have to keep on pushing.”
Catalan’s strike from about 18 yards in the 39th minute produced the first equalizer.
Elgin was not going away.
The Dukes’ second goal was a thing of beauty, with Waski making a deep run down the right edge and playing a ball that defender Stefan Rebic slotted to Hernandez.
Hernandez beat a defender and smashed home a laser from about 16 yards inside the near post for his 10th goal.
That score seemed destined to last moments later when Elgin forward Angel Lopez was disqualified in the 75th minute after being issued his second yellow card.
Down a man and running out of time, Elgin found a way. Nava had his back to the goal outside the box with a defender behind him. He fell toward the net and a foul was called.
One more time, in the 77th minute, Catalan made the Dukes pay.
His 28-yarder deflected off a defender and took a berserk bounce into the net for the stunning 2-2 tie.
“That was tough to come back from, but we had to keep our heads up and play as a team,” Ochoa said.
Elgin conceded possession during the two overtimes, and flooded its back third with bodies.
It set up the shootout and Waski’s game-winner. For his outstanding play, Waski earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction.
“Walking up to that penalty, I was confident in myself that I was going to make it,” he said.
York now returns to the spot where it made the program’s first state championship appearance and took home its first title.
“We are trying to prove that it was not a one-year type of thing,” Waski said.
“We know we have a target on our back.”
Stopka said the animating mentality was that last year constitutes the past.
“Since day one, the question has been ‘What have you won this year?’” Stopka said.
“Some smart aleck said a summer league title. I said nobody cares about summer league titles. Now we are starting to win things, and we can talk about that.”
Starting lineups
York
GK: Diego Ochoa
D: Soren Moore
D: Ryder Kohl
D: Mateusz Janowski
D: Stefan Rebic
MF: Joe Hernandez
MF: Michael Greco
MF: Gustavo Herrera
F: Jose Herrera
F: Jayden Waski
F: Frank Rofrano
Elgin
GK: Kleber Rodriguez
D: Olivier Garcia
D: Julian Orozco
D: Edgar Perez
D: Giovanny Aviles
MF: Omar Saldana
MF: Aaron Saldana
MF: Geo Catalan
F: Miguel Navarro
F: Eduardo Nava
F: Ola Ajayi
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Jayden Waski, jr., F, York
Scoring summary
First half
York—Jayden Waski (Gustavo Herrera), 13th minute
Elgin—Geo Catalan (Angel Lopez), 39th minute
Second half
York—Joe Hernandez (Stefan Rebic), 71st minute
Elgin—Catalan (free kick), 77th minute
First overtime
No scoring
Second overtime
No scoring
Shootout
York—Ryder Kohl (made), Jose Herrera (made), Kevin O’Connor (made), Gustavo Herrera (saved), Jayden Waski (made)
Elgin—Geo Catalan (made), Aaron Saldana (blocked), Miguel Navarro (made), Eduardo Nava (missed)